managing

Managing employees from a distance involves trust and confidence in your team members. In all reality, trust should be at the heart of your management strategy already but even more so should you decide to allow your employees to work remotely.

If you decide to go this route, don’t get hung up on the details. Managing your employees remotely does not involve an entirely new skillset. While you may need to put in a bit of extra effort to develop a positive relationship with them, you don’t have to micromanage their every move.

Setting expectations for your employees and clearly defining them is imperative for managing remote workers. Defining ground rules well in advance is fundamental in ensuring the project is a success from the beginning. Checking in on a regular basis also helps ensure everyone is on the same page, and gives your employees an incentive to keep on top of their work.

Another important aspect to managing employees remotely is communication. Communicating through written and visual mediums helps your employees feel like a part of the team and increases production levels. A quick Skype session, weekly email, or even a phone call or two can work wonders for keeping your project on track.

In addition to making your employees feel like a member of the team, you need to make sure they feel valued. If you don’t acknowledge their efforts and input you risk decreasing the quality of their work. Your job as a manager is to encourage your team to put their best foot forward, so give them an incentive to do so through encouragement.

Managing your employees remotely can be easier than you imagine, and you can make it even easier by following the guidelines listed above.